This report seeks approval for a number of mid-year adjustments to fees and charges in respect of regulatory schemes operated by the Council.

The Committee considered a report seeking approval for a number of mid-year adjustments to fees and charges in respect of regulatory schemes operated by the Council.  The following documents were attached to the report:

·         Confidential Financial Annex – Fee proposal Mandatory and Discretionary Licensing (Exempt information under Paragraph 3)

·         Fees comparison for Mandatory and Discretionary Licensing

·         Current and Proposed Fees & Charges Building Regulations Scheme

·         Current and Proposed Fees for Planning Pre-Application Advice and Planning Performance Agreements

The report noted that the Council currently operated a licensing scheme for larger houses in multiple occupation with five or more occupants, the national Mandatory Licensing Scheme. The phased implementation of a Discretionary Licensing Scheme consisting of a boroughwide Additional Licensing Scheme alongside the phased implementation of a Selective Licensing Scheme were currently in progress with an aim to launch in the current financial year. Licensing fees for both schemes had been reviewed to ensure they were operating on a cost recovery basis and it was proposed that fees be increased as set out in the report.  The information was included in a confidential annex to the report due to commercial sensitivity in the tender process.  To reflect the adjustments to the fees some minor amendments to the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy would also be required.

The report explained that the Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 provided legal minimum standards applicable to the majority of building work undertaken. The Building Control Team performed a monitoring and enforcement service to ensure these standards were met through assessing, commenting on and approving building plans and then inspecting these works as they progressed on site. Local Authority Building Control services produced a scheme of charges for work in connection with the Building Regulations. The fees charged had been reviewed to ensure costs were recovered and were in line with those charged by our neighbouring authorities and proposed increases were set out in Appendix 3 to the report.

Pre-application advice was an informal planning service offered by local planning authorities, which allowed individuals or developers to discuss their development proposals with planning officers before submitting a formal planning application.  This process was designed to help improve the quality and success rate of applications. The Council’s pre-app service had been reviewed against total costs and comparison with adjacent authorities, and it was recommended that fees for some categories of application be increased as set out in Appendix 4 to the report.

Resolved -

(1)        That the mid–term adjustment to the Mandatory HMO Licensing fees be approved and applied to the Discretionary scheme when the tender process was complete and the scheme launched;

(2)        That the amendments to the Housing Standards Enforcement Policy, removing reference to discounts in relation to licences issued under the Housing Act 2004 to reflect the revision of fees, be approved;

(3)        That the revised Building Regulation charging scheme in line with The Building (Local Authority Charges) Regulations 2010 be approved as set out in Appendix 3;

(4)        That the revised fees for the planning pre-application service be approved as set out in Appendix 4;

(5)        That the revised fees become effective from 1 December 2025.